SoftDue Review UK 2026: A $9 Kit, Not an App

SoftDue is a $9 one-time reminder kit for freelancers who hate chasing late payments. The single most important thing to know about it: it is not an app and it sends nothing. You get four ready-to-send email templates and a simple tracker, and you send the emails yourself.

This review is written for UK freelancers. We checked the price below against its landing page (therealcpain.github.io/softdue-demo) in October 2026. It is $9 USD, one-time, with instant download after purchase and no subscription. Payment runs through Gumroad. The maker offers a refund on request while the offer is still being validated.

How much does SoftDue cost?

That is the whole pricing page: one kit, one price, no tiers, no monthly fee. At $9 it costs less than a single month of almost any reminder app, which is the entire pitch. What you pay for is the wording and the system, not software.

Who is SoftDue for?

• Solo freelancers sending roughly 5–40 invoices a year who already invoice somehow and just need the chase emails written for them.
• Anyone whose real problem is wording, not remembering. The kit’s core insight, and the one that came out of its IndieHackers discussion thread, is that a fixed ladder with neutral, factual copy removes the exact moment people dread: improvising tone under stress. You decide the words once, then reuse them.
• Freelancers who want control over every send. Nothing goes out without you pressing send, which suits anyone who would never let a tool email their clients unsupervised.
• Designers, writers, developers, and coaches — the groups the maker names on the landing page.

Who should skip it: if you want reminders to go out automatically while you forget about them, PingToPay fits better because it sends the emails itself. Full review: PingToPay review. If you need Stripe or QuickBooks sync, tax software, or anything beyond templates and a tracker, SoftDue says so plainly on its own page: it is not that.

What are the cheaper or free alternatives?

• Our free templates — our payment reminder email templates cover the same Day 0 to final-notice arc at no cost, and our day-by-day chasing ladder adds the timing. If you only need the words, start there before spending $9.
• PingToPay (free for your first 5 overdue invoices, then $12/month) — the automated version of the same idea: three escalating stages, editable copy, and emails that send themselves. Full review: /directory/pingtopay-review/.
• FreeAgent (£19/month + VAT, or free with an eligible NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank or Mettle business account) — reminders built into full accounting, if you want one system instead of a kit plus a spreadsheet. Full review: /directory/freeagent-review/.
• QuickBooks Sole Trader Plus (£10/month + VAT) — invoicing with reminders included. Full review: /directory/quickbooks-review/.
• Xero Simple (£7/month) — the cheapest of the three listed here, though reminders are basic on that tier. Full review: /directory/xero-review/.

What are the honest drawbacks?

1. No automation at all. SoftDue gives you the copy and a tracker; you send every email from your normal inbox. If your problem is forgetting to chase, a kit cannot fix that. It only fixes not knowing what to say.
2. No payment detection. The tracker is manual: you mark an invoice Paid and the sequence stops. Forget to mark it, and you can chase a client who already paid. That is the single easiest way this kit embarrasses you, and it is entirely on you.
3. The examples are US-flavoured. The sample invoice is $1,200 with Venmo among the payment options, and there is no mention of UK late-payment rights, statutory interest, or the £40/£70/£100 fixed compensation. UK freelancers will need to adapt the templates and add their own legal references. Our late payment rights guide covers what you can actually claim.
4. No sync with anything. No Stripe, no QuickBooks, no accounting integration. The landing page is upfront about this (“Phase 1 is manual mark-paid”), but it means the kit stays a sidecar to whatever you already use, not a replacement.
5. No stated update or support promise. It is a one-time $9 download from a solo maker, sold through Gumroad. There is no published changelog, no version roadmap, and no support SLA. The refund offer softens that, but judge it on what it is today.
6. Personal-use licence only. The licence covers your own freelance practice. If you want to share the templates with a team or resell them, that is outside what you bought.

Verdict

SoftDue is the right buy when you already chase reliably but dread writing the email, and you would rather spend $9 once than $12 a month forever. If your problem is remembering to chase at all, or you want the emails to send themselves, skip the kit and look at PingToPay or the reminders built into your accounting software instead.

This is general information, not financial advice. If the amount is large or the situation is disputed, get proper professional advice. Prices change — check SoftDue’s current UK pricing before you commit.